The 65-year-old Aliamanu man accused of killing his wife before attempting to kill himself had previously told police he cannot control himself when he gets angry and he had abused his wife fairly often, Deputy Prosecutor Scott Spallina told a state judge Tuesday.

An Oahu grand jury returned an indictment Tuesday charging the man, Isagani Fajotina, with murder for the Jan. 18 fatal stabbing of his wife, Melita Fajotina.

The Honolulu medical examiner said Melita Fajotina, 65, died from stab and cut wounds to her neck.

The grand jury also charged Isagani Fajotina in the attempted murder of his 52-year-old sister-in-law.

State Circuit Court Judge Richard Perkins set Fajotina’s bail at $1 million.

Fajotina remains hospitalized at the Queen’s Medical Center.

Spallina told the judge that Fajotina and his wife were in a bedroom in a Wanaka Street home when their two grandchildren, who were sleeping with them, ran into Fajotina’s sister-in-law’s bedroom and reported that Fajotina had struck his wife.

Spallina said Fajotina was covered in blood when he encountered his sister-in-law near the bathroom, asked her where the children were, then attacked her. He said the sister-in-law “grabbed the blade of the knife, broke it out of the handle (and) was able to escape into her bedroom.” She sustained lacerations to her neck, hand and arm.

He said Honolulu police found Melita Fajotina’s body on a futon with a laceration across her neck; Isagani Fajotina was lying next to her with self-inflicted injuries to his midsection.

Police arrested Fajotina but released him and took him to the Queen’s Medical Center.

In 1987 Fajotina was arrested and charged with misdemeanor spouse abuse. Spallina said the charge involved Melita Fajotina. He said the Family Court granted Isagani Fajotina a deferral, then later dismissed the charge.